Boston escapes snowstorm

Barely a coating of snow fell in Boston as of Sunday morning.

The snow totals expected for the region ending Monday morning.Credit: National Weather Service

Boston was ready, but the snowstorm never came.

Forecasters went back and forth for days last week as to how much snow the city would get from the latest snow storm. Expected totals ranged from six inches to four inches to less than one inch.

As of 9 a.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service reported rain in Boston. There was less than an inch of snow on the ground, barely coating the grass. This morning's rain was expected to change over to snow, but not enough to accumulate more than one inch.

Some cities and towns did get measurable snow, but those were locations north and west of Boston. Leomister got more than three inches of snow, about three inches fell in Groton and Worcester saw 2.7 inches of snow fall in the city as of this morning. Forecasters last week predicted up to a foot of snow for parts of central Massachusetts, but those totals have since dropped.

The dud that was the third snowstorm in three weekends for New England was a welcome relief for some who were tired of shoveling, but the storm blanketed states from Minnesota to Ohio last week, dumping more than a foot of snow in Kansas on Thursday, forcing airports to cancel hundreds of flights and stranding motorists on highways.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino met with his "Snow Team" on Friday, as city crews prepared to trim trees to reduce the risk for downed power lines and pre-treat roadways to guard against slippery conditions.

"Boston will be ready for its third consecutive weekend storm," Menino said in a statement. "Use common sense and stay off the roads while snowfall is heaviest [Saturday]."